Rights groups say Bangladesh’s proposed cyber law revives Digital Security Act-era restrictions

Four international human rights organisations have called on the Bangladesh government to withdraw its draft Cyber Protection (Amendment) Act 2026, warning that it would revive provisions similar to those used under the Digital Security Act to prosecute journalists, activists and government critics.

In a joint statement issued on Sept. 22, CIVICUS, Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights, Front Line Defenders and South Asians for Human Rights said the proposed amendments posed “serious risks” to freedom of expression and media freedom and could restrict public-interest reporting. 

The groups said the draft uses terms including “rumour”, “misinformation”, “digital defamation”, “humiliation”, “bullying” and “fake news” without sufficiently precise definitions. They argued that the wording could leave substantial discretion to authorities in deciding what constitutes an offence. 

Their strongest concern centres on proposed Sections 25 and 26, which introduce new offences carrying imprisonment, fines and provisions allowing pre-trial detention.

Under proposed Section 26A, publishing or disseminating “rumours and disinformation” online could carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of 40 lakh taka, or both. The organisations said such provisions could expose people to criminal proceedings before disputes over the accuracy or intent of published material had been resolved. 

The groups also raised concerns over provisions that would increase the number of authorities able to seek the blocking of online content and make some offences non-bailable.

They compared the proposals with the Digital Security Act of 2018, which was widely criticised by domestic and international rights groups over its use against journalists, human rights defenders and critics of the government. The four organisations said the latest draft appeared to replicate several of its restrictive provisions. 

The proposed legislation would amend the Cyber Protection Act 2026, which was enacted on April 10 and amended on June 30, according to the statement. 

The groups acknowledged the government’s responsibility to combat cybercrime, strengthen cybersecurity and protect privacy, but said those measures should not impose undue restrictions on freedom of expression, access to information or media freedom.

They also criticised the consultation process.

According to the statement, the government held a consultation on Sept. 10 involving some media professionals but did not include civil society organisations or human rights defenders. The draft was subsequently published online on Sept. 14, leaving a little more than a week for public comments. 

The organisations said journalists, civil society groups and rights defenders should be included because they had been among those most affected by the Digital Security Act and had campaigned for its repeal.

They called for the current draft to be withdrawn and replaced with an “inclusive and time-bound” consultation involving journalists, rights defenders, civil society, technology experts, lawyers and other stakeholders.

The statement follows earlier criticism of Bangladesh’s attempts to overhaul its digital laws. In February 2025, a coalition including Access Now, ARTICLE 19, Human Rights Watch, PEN International, RFK Human Rights and Tech Global Institute warned that proposed cybersecurity and data-protection legislation relied on vague or overly broad terminology and lacked adequate public consultation. 

The latest statement said any new cyber legislation should address genuine cybercrime and security threats while remaining consistent with constitutional protections and Bangladesh’s international human rights obligations.

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